Sukka Week
by Booksong
Summary: A series of seven drabbles written for Sukka Week. Mostly fluff, but fun anyway. Sokka/Suki
1. Shelter

**Disclaimer: Don't own Sokka. Don't own Suki. Love their relationship.**

**A/N: This is my series of Sukka drabbles written for Sukka Week at DA. Each was inspired by a prompt. Hope you like. :)**

* * *

**Shelter**

"Ha, well, Dad always said I was horrible at predicting the weather."

The jaunty, forced humor of his voice was lost somewhat due to the fact that he practically had to shout over the wind. It was picking up by the second, growing in speed, and worse, cold.

Seeing her dismayed expression, half-hidden as it was by the thick ruff of her hood, Sokka's face fell.

"I'm really sorry, Suki." And he looked it, too. In fact, he looked so crestfallen that she turned her steps so that she veered close to him, rubbing her thickly padded shoulder against his.

"It's all right." Their heads were less than a foot apart, and still she had to raise her voice. The wind drove straight into her face, stinging like needles, making each individual hair on her head feel like it was sheathed in ice.

"Put your head down. It keeps the snow out of your hood."

"Wait, it's snowing?"

"Heh, well…it will be soon."

"You mean this isn't just a passing cloud or two?"

Sokka looked sheepish and apologetic at the same time. "Um, actually…it'll probably turn into a full-blown blizzard any time now."

If Suki hadn't been too wind-buffeted to make any extra movements, she would have covered her eyes with her hand. "Sokka!"

"Don't worry; I know how to survive a blizzard!" His blue eyes gleamed at her earnestly. "We'll probably have to dig a snow cave, but…"

Suki sighed, blowing a cloud of breath that froze into crystals instantly. They had gone on a simple walk out of the village. Sokka had told Aang, Katara, and Hakoda that he wanted to show her "that really interestingly shaped iceberg by Seal Point". But honestly they had just wanted to be alone together. And no one had really believed Sokka's excuse anyway, not if the way that Aang kept coughing like he was choking back snickers and Hakoda had been grinning were any indication.

Well, her idea of spending time alone with Sokka didn't exactly involve blizzards. But when did anything with Sokka ever go as planned?

He was right about the snow, though. The next moment, the wind against her face began to feel decidedly more solid. And wetter. And colder.

She had to slit her eyes in order to keep them from being filled with the snow. She bowed her head like Sokka had told her to.

Unfortunately, that combination also made it very difficult to see.

"Suki, watch out for that—"

Her foot hit something soft and hard at the same time, and the next thing she knew, she was falling. Her muscles were so stiff and frozen that even her warrior reflexes didn't save her. She plunged face first into a wall of solid cold.

"Suki? Are you okay?" His arms were practically windmilling as he dug frantically around her. His voice was abruptly close as he pulled her upright, his hands frantic on her hood and clothes.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Honestly, however uncomfortable snow was, she had faced worse. She looked up, expecting to find his face wide-eyed with worry. But instead, he looked…pleased.

"What?" she asked suspiciously, trying to spit out snow while retaining her dignity.

"Suki! You found a perfect snowdrift for our cave!" Sokka scooped an armful of snow out of the heap she had fallen into. He looked almost excited. Suki couldn't help smiling, despite the fact that her face was practically numb. Only Sokka would get excited about digging a snow cave in the middle of a South Pole blizzard.

"Come on!" Suki shook herself out of her reverie. "Help me dig."

Her hands were clumsy in the thick gloves, but they worked well enough for shoveling snow. Sooner than she'd thought, they had a reasonably sized hole in the drift, big enough to squeeze into.

Sokka wormed his way in, his shoulders barely fitting through the entrance, and she climbed after him. As soon as she was in, he started packing snow back around the opening.

"We'll have to leave a breathing hole here," Sokka said, able to talk more quietly now the wind was no longer screaming around them. He spoke with the air of someone musing on how to decorate their new house. "And if we smooth the walls down, they'll hold heat more effectively…"

Sokka turned to her and grinned knowingly. "Speaking of which, we'll probably have to huddle to conserve warmth."

He settled down with his back against one side of the cave and opened his parka-clad arms hopefully.

Suki had to hide a smile at his antics. But it was without any hesitation at all that she snuggled deep into the circle of his embrace and tucked her head against his chest. She had to admit, as soon as his arms closed firmly around her and his breath reached her face, she felt much warmer.

After a few moments, his gloves moved to her face. They weren't clumsy at all as he carefully dislodged the leftover snow and ice from her cheeks and hair. Cold as his hands were, the friction of them moving on her skin was warming too.

Time seemed to pass slowly. She didn't feel sleepy, which would have worried her, having heard the stories in the village of people who had fallen asleep in the middle of snowstorms. She just felt…comfortable. Which wasn't how most people felt in snow caves in blizzards.

But then, most people didn't have Sokka.

She was finally stirred when Sokka raised his head and began battering at the ceiling of the cave. He kept his body curved over her so none of the snow rained down on her. After a moment, she felt something warm on her face.

Sunlight?

She blinked, looking up. Sure enough, there were patchy clouds with a full, blazing sun shining down through them.

"See? It's over!" Sokka hugged her tightly to him, and then climbed over the lip of the hole he had made to freedom. He turned, reaching a hand back to her.

As she reached up to take it, Suki realized she was a little sorry the blizzard had stopped.


	2. Humiliation

**Humiliation**

_What are you doing? This is a total breach of manliness._

Sokka stopped outside the door of the low wooden building, feelings simmering inside him. He stared moodily at the pastry in his hand, and took a bite.

_Girls. Girls snuck up on me, and tied me up. But no, it was luck. Sokka of the Water Tribe does not get beaten by girls._

And he was going to tell them so. That was the best way to take them down a notch. He had to stroll in there like the warrior he was and show them that he was not someone who was going to be messed around with.

Sokka straightened the sleeves of his tunic, lifted his chin up high, and walked into the doorway.

They were doing some kind of dance, some sort of gliding form. They were holding those little fans they used. In the front was their leader, he assumed. It was a little hard to tell them apart with the face paint.

He reminded himself of his goal. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, ladies, didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson."

About five minutes later, he found himself flat on his face, his hands and feet bound again, and their soft laughter ringing in his ears. He twisted to look at the leader, the one who had twice now disabled him faster than he'd been able to think.

She was laughing too, but there was something different about her expression. A question, a urging. She wanted him to do something. She was hoping, waiting.

For what, he couldn't imagine.

He had had thought long and hard about it. He had memorized the ceiling of his room on the Island late at night, thinking about what he had done yesterday.

Something had changed. Words like "manliness" and "warrior" had a new meaning. He thought he understood now, a little. And he knew what he had to do.

But it wouldn't be easy. He winced just to think of it.

The dojo seemed bigger and more imposing today. The soft voices he heard inside seemed to belong to a group of people much scarier than before.

_Oh, this is so bad. Why Sokka? Why are you doing this?_

For some reason, the answer lay in the eyes of their leader. Suki.

He greeted her without thinking about it. He heard her speak the moment he stepped through the door. But he didn't really register what she said. He had to do this quick, before he stopped to think too much about how much this was going to wound his pride.

He stared at the rough brown boards and slowly lowered himself to the floor. It was hard and uncomfortable beneath his knees.

And he spoke the words that he'd thought would never pass his lips.

"I would be honored if you would teach me."

When he glanced up, her face was stern. But there was something there now in her eyes.

Approval. Gratitude, almost. And expectance. How strange.

Actually…she had_ really_ pretty eyes.

"I got you, admit I got you!"

He felt so proud of himself. For the first time ever, she was on the ground, and he had put her there. It was an oddly exhilarating feeling.

And then there was pain. Before he could enjoy the moment further, his hand was being twisted in an unnatural and uncomfortable manner.

She had him again.

This was becoming humiliating.

And far too common for his liking.

_Toph. Oh please spirits, not Toph…_

"I'm coming Toph!"

Why were his boots on so tight? Why weren't they coming off? How long was it going to take to get his shirt off? Oh man, he was going to let Suki see him with his shirt off?!

Someone rushed past him in a blur of green. Someone with all their clothes still on, boots and all. Someone who took a perfect curve dive off the rock platform and plunged into the water with hardly a splash.

There she went again.

He was still holding his left boot with both hands.

She could fight, she could run. She could climb. She wasn't afraid of spiders.

This was just too much. Because really, how much was one guy supposed to be able to take?

Straight up. It was a vertical metal _wall_, for the love of Kuruk. To her, it was nothing.

She was so beautiful when she ran. When she fought. When she climbed. Graceful as anything. Heck, she was beautiful all the time.

It took her less time to capture the man than it took Sokka to fully register what had happened.

And _she_ loved _him_.

When was she going to stop amazing him?

How…?

What…?

A _zeppelin_?!

A zeppelin.

He may have lost boomerang, but now he had her.

She was driving a zeppelin. She had just crashed a zeppelin into another one and saved his life and Toph's. And she was smiling about it. She was like some kind of crazy _sky_ _pirate_ now.

He loved this, he really did.

He really hoped she never stopped humiliating him.


	3. Power

**Power**

"Suki? Don't _I_ usually come up with the dangerous ideas?"

Suki casually draped the light wrap-cloth she had been wearing over her swimsuit on a nearby rock. Now she turned, hands on hips, and appraised Sokka with affectionate, yet exasperated eyes.

"Since when has the bold warrior Sokka of the Water Tribe been afraid of anything? Now, come on. Clothes off. We're going to miss the window of opportunity."

Sokka tried to swallow without showing it. _It wasn't fair_, he thought silently to himself. He was here on Kyoshi Island. He got to spend an entire day alone with Suki. She was wearing a _bathing suit_. And he was too nervous to enjoy it.

"I thought you said you weren't an expert?"

"Sokka, I told you. No one has been eaten by the Unagi in the past fifty years."

"So someone _has_ been eaten?"

"Yes…but he was a really bad swimmer and not too smart."

Sokka was not reassured. "Why don't we just go back to the dojo and spar or something? Or we could take a walk…there's plenty of other things to do on Kyoshi Island than _trying to ride a giant hungry sea monster_!" Sokka's voice had risen progressively until he was waving his arms at the last part. Suki looked calmly back at him, eyebrows raised, with that certain expression that never failed to neutralize his dramatic rants.

"The Unagi just ate yesterday, Sokka. I saw it myself. It swallowed a couple of elephant koi; that should keep it nice and full for a week or so."

When he hesitated still, Suki sighed. "I went penguin sledding with you. Now it's your turn to ride my native animal."

Sokka was about to protest how unfair that was and that there was absolutely _no_ comparison, but Suki was already racing across the beach.

Almost as an afterthought, although Sokka knew it was anything but, Suki tossed one word over her shoulder.

"Coming?"

That did it. The sight of her diving calmly, confidently, out into the water, leaving him behind, was too much.

Mumbling something about unfairness, sea monsters, and girlfriends who made him look bad (but made up for it in other ways), Sokka started scrambling with the laces of his clothing. Seconds later, he was wearing only his shorts.

The water was _freezing_. It took his breath away the second he plunged in. How were people supposed to swim in this?

As if she had read his mind, he heard Suki call out, "Keep swimming! The more you move, the warmer you get."

Sokka tried to urge his numb legs into motion. He managed a jerky sort of kick.

"Concentrate on catching up to me!" came her voice again over the sound of his teeth chattering together. He just made out her bobbing reddish head about a hundred yards away.

Well, she _did_ know how to motivate him.

The first few kicks and strokes were awkward, but then his limbs found a kind of cycling rhythm. He thought of Suki, treading water out there and watching him flounder around, chattering like a hogmonkey.

He had never yet left a challenged she had laid down to him. It wasn't just about trying to impress her. It wasn't just about showing her he could keep up. It was just in his nature to answer a dare. Especially when someone as beautiful and bold as Suki was issuing it.

He tried to copy her way of swimming, the swift overhead arm motions. To his surprise, he found himself moving quickly through the water. He seemed to leave the cold behind as he swam. With every stroke, he felt stronger and faster. He even began to think that perhaps riding the Unagi wouldn't be so bad after all. Of course, that notion would probably blow away like a smoke puff when he actually _saw _the thing. But maybe they wouldn't at all. Maybe the Unagi had gone down to the bottom of the lake to sleep off its meal from yesterday. Optimism was good.

He was concentrating so hard on optimism that he almost plowed into Suki. Her hands on his chest stopped him, and he almost inhaled water in surprise as his forward motion was broken and he was reduced to swimming in place.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Suki was grinning at him.

"Well…not now. Because you're going to pay for that." And before Suki could move, Sokka grabbed her and pulled her underwater.

The short gasp she had time to make was very satisfying.

She didn't try very hard to escape; if she had been set on it, she probably could have hit three different pressure points on his arms and freed herself in about ten seconds. But she didn't, and when he came back up for air, she already had one arm around his shoulders and her forehead against his.

Sokka's heart was pounding, and not just from the swimming. Who needed the Unagi?

But of course, the universe never seemed to get its fill of tormenting him.

Suki drew back abruptly. Sokka was about to protest when he saw the expression on her face. She was staring over his head with her mouth slightly open.

Sokka turned around, the frantic pumping of his heart changing to dread.

A huge black column blotted out the sun, rising in a swaying curve from the water. A deep, rasping shriek split the air, and Sokka saw the two halves of jaw open slowly, teeth reflecting water and sunlight.

Dimly, he heard Suki shout, "Hang on!" in his ear, and was conscious of the fact that she had his hand in a tight grip. But another portion of his brain was saying dryly, _Why do you let her talk you into these things?_

The Unagi's muzzle hit the water just ten feet from them, sending a tidal wave crashing over their heads. Before Sokka could even splutter in a mouthful of air, the lake beneath his churning legs erupted. His feet hit solid, slippery skin, and he had the wind knocked out of him again as a sea of living muscle lifted him and Suki straight up into the air.

"Grab the fin!" Suki was shouting. He was almost too disoriented to figure out what she meant, but the huge yellow sailfin was too obvious to miss. He grabbed blindly for it, trying to get a grip on the bony ribs of the crest. He saw Suki doing the same thing on the other side.

He barely made it in time. All at once, the huge eel shook its head; a motion that created an effect on Sokka rather like being flipped overhand by Suki during training sessions, and then plunged forward.

It was a thousand times faster, a thousand times more terrifying than he ever could have predicted. Everything; water, trees, land, sky, turned into a swirling blur. Sokka had to bend his knees to keep from being ripped off by the sheer wind force.

But after the first few minutes of extreme terror, he realized something else.

It was incredible.

He was riding the _Unagi._ He, Sokka, was really and truly riding a six-story high sea creature that was traveling faster than anything he'd ever known before.

And it actually felt _good_. Better than good. Unbelievable. He could feel the sheer power that existed in the creature beneath his feet. And somehow, he was sharing in that power.

And the sheer thrill worked its way up into a cry that was torn away by the wind, echoing across the lake.

"YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

He could hear Suki laughing on the other side of the fin, whether from exhilaration or at him he didn't know or care.

And then, just as fast as he had been picked up, the Unagi tossed its head again, and this time, Sokka couldn't hang on. He felt himself flying through the air in a wide arc.

"Dive!" Suki's final shout of instruction barely reached his ears. He pointed his body into an arrow, just before he hit the water.

If he hadn't, the impact probably would have knocked him out. As it was, he plunged deep, deep down. Legs pumping with the leftover adrenaline, he broke the surface, gulping in air in a rush.

"See?" Suki was still laughing breathlessly. "What'd I tell you?"

"I take it back. The Unagi is amazing." Sokka looked over at his girlfriend, her hair plastered down from the water, her eyes positively glowing with the thrill.

"Want to do it again?"

Sokka felt slightly nervous at the fact that he was honestly considering the idea.

"Maybe later. Because, you know, the Unagi only has one setback."

"And what's that?"

"It shows up at very inopportune moments."

And with a wicked chuckle, he put his arms around Suki again and pulled her back underwater.

This time, apparently the Unagi had other places to be.


	4. Duel

**Duel**

Sokka's eyes slitted, all of his concentration focused to the utmost. His muscles coiled, waiting. He was tense…waiting.

So attuned was he that when Zuko exhaled a breath, he looked over with a scowl at the Fire Lord, who was watching from the sidelines.

Zuko shrugged and gave him an apologetic look. Once again, Sokka took a deep breath and channeled his concentration back into a single point.

Suki.

She was directly across from him, poised in a similar position. His eyes swept every inch of her face, hunting strategically for any sign of her next movement. Sometimes he could tell by watching her. But this time, her face was closed completely.

She was learning.

He wasn't even aware of their audience anymore, the friends who stood observing on the edges of his vision. Only one person mattered.

His opponent.

He shifted position ever so slightly, and saw her eyes follow the movement acutely.

It was such a pleasure, such a challenge to face off against her. She was perhaps the only one who could match his skill, who could really present a difficulty.

His mind focused on the terrain, on the scenario before him. He tried to plan things out, to find a way to get around the brilliant defense she was sure to present.

He almost wanted her to make a move, just so his muscles could unlock, so he could finally be rid of this poised tension. But no, she was waiting for him.

He feinted slightly, leaning in just a hair. But her swift eyes caught the motion yet again. He just wasn't going to be able to get around her.

Well…here went nothing.

His hand shot forward like lightning, his eyes never leaving her face.

With a triumphant smile on his face, Sokka leaned one elbow forward.

She counterattacked in a single, confident movement.

Sokka gaped. It was over already. He stared down, unable to quite believe his eyes.

Toph's strident laugh broke the concentrated silence. " You never should have loaned the White Lotus tile to her, Sokka."

Suki smiled sweetly at him. "Gotcha. Or do you want to start a sixth 'sudden death tiebreaker'?"

Sokka looked down at the Pai Sho board, grumbling to himself.

"Hey, I thought I was next?" Mai leaned on the back of Suki's chair.

"Sure, Mai. I don't think this is going anywhere." Suki got up and stretched, still grinning at Sokka. He glared back at her, but not with any real venom.

Sokka relinquished his chair to Zuko, and accepted the cup of steaming tea that a warmly smiling Iroh pressed into his hands. He went to stand by Suki, who was leaning against the wall with her own cup of tea.

"I still want a rematch," Sokka muttered, sipping at his drink.

"Whenever you want." Suki leaned comfortably against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Sokka decided he didn't need to hold a grudge. He put an arm around Suki and held her tight, and together with Aang, Katara, Iroh, and Toph, they settled back to watch the next duel.


	5. Blitz

**A/N: _Blitzkrieg: German word for 'lightning'. Refers to a single, swift offensive that drives away all opposition in one blow._**

* * *

**Blitz**

It was quiet in this part of the city after dark. Even so, Sokka knew how risky it was to use this shortcut. It was very late, he was all alone, and worst of all, he didn't have any weapon.

He wished Toph was here.

He almost always took his partner-in-crime into Ba Sing Se when he snuck in; for protection, guidance, and companionship. But today he'd convinced her to let him try coming alone. He'd used all his reasoning to get her to agree. No actual scamming, no gambling. Just retrieving the earnings they'd stashed from their last visit in the Lower Ring. A boring run, he'd promised. And better done by someone working solo.

Now he wasn't so sure. The gold was safely stashed under his clothes, and the Outer Wall wasn't so far away. But still…

"I thought I recognized you."

Sokka spun around. He'd thought he was alone in the alley. Now, a hulking silhouette stood nearby, staring straight at him. It looked decidedly menacing.

"I followed you. You have the money, don't you?"

Sokka shook his head. This was very, very bad. No Toph, and no weapon. He hadn't planned on needing one.

"Don't lie to me, punk," the man growled. "I saw you pick up the money. I don't like people like you." He advanced slowly. Shaved head. Tattooed arms. Muscles like rocks.

Oh, this was so bad.

* * *

**Two Hours Earlier**

"Toph? Sokka? Don't even try and hide from me. I know where you've been; you went into the city again, didn't you?"

Suki stomped down the short hallway of the house, mentally preparing herself. If she didn't get herself properly angry, her careful façade would fall apart that much faster once she laid eyes on the mischievous duo. It kind of defeated the purpose to back up her stern words with laughter.

"You guys seriously need to--"

"What are you yelling about Suki?"

Suki rounded the corner into the main room. Toph was rocked back on two legs of her chair, her bare feet on the table, sipping a mug of something that was steaming. She turned her sightless eyes toward Suki. "Hey, what's up?"

Suki opened and closed her mouth for a moment. When her voice returned, it was confused rather than annoyed. "Where's Sokka?"

"Should have known that was what you were here for," said Toph, rolling her eyes, but her tone was good-natured. "He'll be back soon."

"Where is he?"

"Out." Toph took a huge gulp of her drink, apparently disregarding the fact that it was still steaming hot.

"Toph." Suki tried to keep her voice calm, but her mind was already thinking this situation out. She didn't like the conclusions it was coming to.

"Don't worry about it, Suki. He's just fine. Even if he doesn't have me."

"Toph Bei-Fong, I am your friend, but if you don't tell me where my goof of a husband is right now, I will be forced to get unpleasant."

"Well, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" Toph grinned smugly at her. But the earthbender sat up in her chair. "He went to Ba Sing Se to pick up some stuff we left. He wasn't doing anything dangerous."

"You let him go _alone_?" Suki stared in disbelief.

"He's a grown-up, Suki, he can take care of himself."

Suki gave Toph a look so heavy with meaning that she regretted that the earthbender couldn't see it. But apparently Toph interpreted her pause. She sighed.

"Yeah, okay, I'm worried about him too. I probably shouldn't have let him go. Y'know, just…"

"_Because he's Sokka_." The two girls said the words at the same time, and smiled ruefully at each other.

Toph got up, dusting her hands on her already very dusty clothing. "Alright, I'll go look for him."

Suki shook her head, remembered Toph couldn't see it, and said, "No, I'll go. I know my way around the city pretty well. Besides, it's been a quiet few years on Kyoshi Island."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "You think he's in trouble?"

Suki was already out the door, but she called back, "He's Sokka. Thanks Toph."

* * *

Sokka weighed his options. There was always the most tempting one; run away. But he didn't know if he could outrun this guy. To Sokka's extreme horror, the bandit did have a knife, which he had transferred from the belt at his waist to his hand.

The small, intelligent voice in his head told him he should simply relinquish the gold and hope the man went away. But the other one, the one that sounded more like Toph, told him that you weren't supposed to give up anything, or _for_ anything.

For the millionth time, he wished for his sword. Or Toph.

He supposed he could try talking…

"Um, hey, could I just talk to you about this for a second…"

Without warning, the man leaped at him. So much for talking. Sokka yelped and twisted sideways, barely avoiding the attack. He caught the bandit's breath full in the face, and gagged.

Unfortunately, his dodging had put him in a very bad position. With his back literally against the wall.

The knife skittered against the stones inches from Sokka's head. The man's rank breath blew in his face again. Part of Sokka was hoping that the man was only trying to frighten him a little bit, but somehow he doubted it.

He was about to start trying some hand-to-hand techniques when the bandit's free forearm landed across his throat, pinning him to the wall. Sokka's feet slid from under him, and he could no longer get enough leverage to kick or punch. He couldn't breathe properly.

And in the back of his mind, he was furious with himself for his carelessness and stupidity.

And then someone else spoke.

"Excuse me, sir, but I believe you're making a mistake. The man you currently have crushed against the wall is my husband. I'd appreciate it if you could let him go."

The bandit looked up. Sokka's mouth fell wide open. He _knew_ that voice. And it wasn't Toph.

"Well, well. A girl. I guess that puts an end to my plans. I'd better run, huh?" The man laughed sneeringly, sounding like rolling gravel.

"You'd better," replied the voice with total seriousness.

"Sorry girly, but no." Sokka choked involuntarily as the bandit pressed hard against his windpipe.

"All right then. I spoke like a girl, and you treated me like one. So I guess I'd better start acting like a warrior, huh buddy?"

Sokka saw a blur leap from the roof directly behind the man, and heard the thud as she landed. And before the bandit could turn, Suki uncoiled from her crouch and landed on his back, her arms locking in a merciless chokehold around his neck.

"What I meant to say earlier," she ground out, "was get away from my husband, you slimy street-crawling jerk!"

Sokka gasped as he was released abruptly, and it took all his balance and willpower not to fall over. The bandit was staggering around the alley now, swearing and thrashing, with Suki clinging skillfully to his back like she was riding the Unagi.

All Sokka could do was watch with disbelief. Finally, Suki sprang down, light and graceful, and planted a kick straight between the man's shoulders, sending him stumbling half the length of the alley. Apparently, the man didn't want to find out any more about his strange attacker, who had a woman's voice but fought like a tigerdillo. He was gone from sight before Sokka had time to draw another pained breath.

And then only one word broke the sudden silence that fell over the alley.

"_Suki_?!"

Apparently she had anticipated his storm of questions, and she answered them before he could ask.

"Toph told me where you were, I was worried about you, I snuck in, I heard you struggling, I got extremely angry that someone was assaulting the man I love, and I solved the problem." She smiled lopsidedly at him. "Take a couple deep breaths, Sokka. You look like you're going to pass out. It's not like you've never seen me fight."

"Yeah," said Sokka, massaging his neck, but not really thinking about the fact that it hurt. "But I always seem to forget how amazing you are."

Suki averted her eyes, blushing slightly. "If you think you can get away from the talk I'm going to give you about going into cities like this _alone_…" she began, attempting once again to use that sternness.

Sokka's mouth against hers cut her off. After a moment, he drew back, saying quietly, "Can I just say 'thank you', and you forget about giving me the talk?"

"No," Suki insisted firmly, although the firmness sounded a lot less impressive because she was breathless, and not from the fight. "We can not." When she saw his face fall a little, she couldn't help grinning inside, although on the outside she restricted it to a small smile.

"But you can probably postpone it."

As usual, that was all the encouragement Sokka needed.


	6. Delight

**Delight**

"Oh, oh! This one is perfect!"

Suki resisted the urge to groan. Sokka brushed sand off the shell, blew on it, and held a little way away, as though he were admiring a work of art. Then he held it out for her inspection.

It was a fan-shaped shell with pale pink stripes. It was lovely, really, but it was becoming harder to appreciate each one of Sokka's finds.

"Don't we have about ten just like that?" she asked.

"Not _exactly_ like this," Sokka retorted, as though this was obvious. He cupped the shell between his hands and looked at her with such wide-eyed pleading that there was nothing she could do.

"Add it to the stack," she told him with resignation, but she was smiling in spite of herself.

Sokka set the shell reverently on top of the pile Suki was cradling in her arms. Then he scrambled off further down the beach, scanning the sands intently. Hardly thirty seconds later, he dove down and snatched up another shell with an exclamation of delight. "Hey, look at this one! This little scratch looks like a face, I'm not kidding! You have got to see this Suki."

She strolled over, looking the tiny curved seashell over with polite interest. Of course, onto the stack it went.

"What do you need all these for, anyway?" Suki asked, as Sokka started feeling through the sand for buried shells.

"I told you, it's a secret." Sokka grinned knowingly at her and went back to digging.

Suki sighed and looked down at the heap of shells. They were starting to make her arms hurt. But then she started looking closer at them; perhaps closer than she had before.

When you thought about it, it was really kind of amazing how Sokka could find something special in every seashell he picked up. This one had a little tinge of blue on the edges. That one had delicate ribbing on the underside. And to the casual observer, they all might have looked alike.

Suki glanced over at Sokka, feeling one of those surges of love and pride that sometimes snuck up on her while she was looking at him. Whenever she understood something new about him that made her love him more than ever, if that was possible.

"OK, I think we actually have enough now." Sokka dashed over to her and started scooping the shells out her arms so fast that she nearly unbalanced. It was incredible the sheer _speed_ with which he moved when he was in the grip of an idea.

Once Sokka had all the seashells piled at his feet, he looked intently down at them for a long time, as though he was trying to glean some special knowledge from them by staring. Then he looked abruptly at Suki and said, "Turn around, and cover your eyes."

He said it with such seriousness that she didn't think to object, strange as the order was. She looked in the other direction and placed a hand over her eyes.

"No matter what you hear, don't turn around."

That turned out to be harder than she thought. Multiple times over the next few minutes, Suki had to fight the urge to look around and see what in Kyoshi's name her boyfriend was _doing_. There was a lot of scratching, like feet in sand, and some gritty squelching noises, and the soft click of shells knocking together. As the seconds ticked by, Suki became attuned to other, smaller sounds; ones she'd never noticed before but thought that she would from now on. The soft, unintelligible mutters Sokka was making to himself, the tiny sighs and grunts of effort, and the little gasps of delight as inspiration struck, as he moved around on the beach doing who knew what.

Suki tried very hard not to fidget or get impatient. Finally, she was rewarded when she heard Sokka say with a mixture of nervousness and glee, "Okay, you can turn around now."

With the anticipation that came from being kept in the dark, and having about fifteen whole minutes to wonder and speculate, Suki turned.

And the breath went out of her.

Sprawled across the beach, in letters at least five feet high each, were the words, SOKKA + SUKI. Each character was traced out in a medley of seashells, sunk deep into the wet tidal sand. And the shells…the shells that for the better part of the day had weighed her arms down and tested her patience; now they glowed white and peach, coral pink and pale blue.

Suki thought she might have stood there for days and still been speechless. Sokka stood off to the side with his arms half raised, presenting his masterpiece with an expression of joy, wearing that goofy grin that made her heart melt.

"Oh, _Sokka_," she whispered.

"Does that mean you like it?" he asked hopefully.

Sand sprayed up beneath her feet, as she made full use of the sprinting skills she had honed all her years as a Kyoshi Warrior. In one perfectly timed leap, she threw her arms around him with such force that Sokka crashed backward into the sand, laughing for the brief second before her lips found his.

After all, there really was no other answer to his question, or to the glistening reminder in the sand of the way he felt about her.


	7. Erase

**Erase**

"Suki, Suki! Look what I bought at the market!"

Suki looked up. She had learned to face those words with a resigned affection, as she heard them very often.

"What is it this time? Please tell me it's not another messenger hawk. Hawky Jr., Fluffy, and Boomerang do _not_ need more friends."

"No, it is not a messenger hawk," said Sokka, sounding mildly offended. Then he held up his prize, and his look of gleeful excitement returned. "They only just invented it! Can you believe that? Look!"

Suki squinted at the small object her husband had clutched in his hand.

"A stick?"

Sokka scowled at her, obviously disappointed that she did not immediately grasp the importance of his purchase. "No, not a _stick_. It's called a 'pencil'. See, it has some kind of rock on this end that can draw, and this little thing on the other end that _actually fixes mistakes_! When you draw, I mean."

Suki smiled gently at him. "Sokka, I love the way you draw. You don't need to fix anything."

"Suki, you don't need to lie to be nice to me. But this will help everything. I'm going to go try it out. I'll be out on the rocks by the lake if you need me."

Suki watched him snatch up a pad of paper, and looked lovingly after him as he practically bounded out the door.

Maybe this was something he needed.

****

Sokka spent almost ten minutes trying to find a comfortable position to draw in. Finally, he settled his back against a rock and looked out over the lake, taking a deep breath. This was a perfect time to draw.

Reverently, Sokka lifted his precious new drawing tool. He set the pointed rock end against the paper, and moved it carefully. It left a smooth, dark line against the brownish white of the parchment.

Then, Sokka tried the truly magical part of the object. He turned the pencil around and rubbed gently at the mark with the end. It vanished as if it had never been.

Sokka grinned hugely, fighting the urge to whoop with joy. His artistic problems were solved. Never again would his friends complain about his work.

Now…what to draw?

Inspiration struck. Sokka put his tongue between his teeth and started boldly striking lines across the paper, outlining body shapes. He would draw more scenes from his adventures with Aang. And since he was sitting here on Kyoshi Island now, what better place to start than his first time there?

He sank into the concentrated joy he always entered when he drew. He sketched out the background first, not knowing which scene he wanted to do yet. He drew the low huts, the lake in the background, the trees down by the beach, the big statue of Avatar Kyoshi in the square.

And then, a memory sprang to his mind, and he was drawing that. A komodo rhino, huge and fearsome, with a teenager in full Fire Nation armor astride it. A girl in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform, sprawled on the ground before him. And then, himself, standing in a similar uniform and holding a fan, between the rhino and the girl. Suki. He remembered feeling the urge to protect her, so strong he didn't think twice. He hadn't felt that defensive over anyone but Katara in his life. Maybe that was when he had first known how he felt about her.

Sokka sat back, looking at the image. For a moment, he felt pleased.

And then he started to notice things. The komodo rhino's tail was too long, really. And Zuko would hate how he had drawn his head. And one of Suki's legs looked off…

In fact, why didn't he erase it all? Sometimes he wished he literally could. The memory of all the homes in Kyoshi alight, and the Kyoshi Warriors being flung back by Fire Nation soldiers, and Zuko's cruel face, and Aang's look of sorrow as he realized they had to leave.

He reached out with the pencil end, the one that could make it all disappear. And he paused.

Zuko…he had been a crazy angry jerk back then. But now he played Pai Sho with Sokka in his uncle's tea shop and teased Katara and helped Toph play practical jokes on him. If Sokka erased him…

And he had protected Suki. He had gotten his first kiss that day, he had learned things about honor and respect. He had seen Aang perform a selfless act as he used the Unagi to help the town.

Sokka withdrew the pencil. After a moment, he set the sketch aside and picked up a clean sheet.

Now, he chose a day he knew he would want to fix up; the Day of Black Sun. Full of failure and sorrow, the day when all their hopes had crumbled.

He drew out the eclipsed sun in the sky, and the steep slope of a mountainside. He drew himself and Aang and Toph, crouched around a tunnel in the ground, ready to go find the Fire Lord. And now…he would draw it the way it _should_ have been. With Aang taking down the Fire Lord as the sun went black. With everyone celebrating as they overthrew the capital.

He lowered his pencil, ready to change it all. Toph's head was not that big…and he had made Appa look like an overfed mooselion…

And he stopped again. They had failed that day. All of their friends and family had been imprisoned. But they had escaped. Later, they learned that Zuko had defied his father and chosen his destiny that day. And even though his fury at Azula over Suki had cost them the battle, he had learned she was alive. If it had never happened…

Maybe Toph's head didn't look that bad after all. And the detail on the mountainside was nice…

Another clean sheet. Another story of the past.

The Boiling Rock. Harsh steel walls, a scalding lake, halls of red-clad prisoners. Tense days, that itchy guard uniform, the Warden's ugly face…

Yes, he would have loved to erase that particular adventure, if he could.

But Suki…her eyes warm as she told him she knew he would come, the touch of her hand on his shoulder and her arms around him. Zuko, leaning on the iron railing, his words stumbling from his mouth as he tried to think of something to make Sokka feel better. The way his heart had soared into his throat when his father stepped off the gondola. Watching Suki capture the Warden. Watching Mai save all of their lives. Katara's face when they had stepped off the zeppelin along with Hakoda.

Again, Sokka considered the small end of his pencil.

The drawing went on top of the other two.

Over and over, the pointed end flowed over the parchment, spouting his trademark figures, with scribbled eyes, pointy hair, blocky bodies, and sometimes exaggerated power. Over and over again, the small eraser hovered over his work, only to be slowly withdrawn.

Finally, Sokka stood, rolling his shoulders and stretching the kink in his neck. He gathered up the thick stack of artwork he had made, and glanced out at the sun sinking below the horizon. Suki would be waiting for him to come home.

He looked at the drawing tool in his hand. And suddenly, he thought of the painting that now hung over the hearth in their house.

Himself, waving his space sword valiantly. Katara, with the hair loopies she _claimed_ looked like ears. Aang surrounded by a swirl of air. Mai with her deep scowl, looking like a man. Zuko with his Boar-Q-Pine hair and furrowed brow. Toph, levitating a rock. Iroh with a belly that didn't really suit him anymore. And Suki…firebending.

Sokka grinned to himself. It looked awful; even he had to admit it to himself. But in a way, it was still _them_.

With great deliberation, Sokka tested the back end of the pencil. Then, with a powerful and concentrated effort, he bent the piece of wood as hard as he could.

There was a loud, satisfying _snap_ as the eraser end separated from the rest of the pencil. Sokka rolled it in his palm for a moment, and then tossed it over the cliff and into the lake.

He tucked the rest of the pencil into his pocket.

****

Suki was waiting for him in the doorway when he crested the hill. She smiled when she saw him. Sokka loved that, that the mere sight of him could bring a smile to her face, even when she saw him every day. And that the mere sight of her smile could make his heart pick up, no matter how many times he saw it.

"So, how was your new 'pencil'? Did it help improve your art?"

Sokka smiled ruefully. "Nah. You know what? I think it made it worse. But I did get all these done!" He held up his stack proudly, all of them probably horrible, but all of them untouched.

"What did I tell you, silly?" Suki said softly as he approached. She closed the distance between them in a few steps and slipped her arms around his neck, resting her head in the curve of his shoulder. She seemed to understand almost more than he did about his day, and what he had learned from it.

Careful not to crumple his drawings, Sokka put his arms around her and pulled her close against him, pressing his face into her soft hair. He felt the small hard shape of the eraserless pencil press against his chest, reminding him.

Most things in life didn't need to be erased.

He wouldn't change a single thing for the world.

* * *

**A/N: You may give a round of 'awwwws' now. :D And review, please! **


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